Cultural crossings

Published on August 31, 2007

Ten Japanese and Thai actors and directors have teamed up for "5 The Story R", a unique intercultural collaboration at Tadu Contemporary Art.

The project was initiated by Shogo Tanikawa, a Bangkok-born Japanese actor whose captivating performance was a highlight of Theatre 8X8's "Where Should I Lay My Soul?" On board from the beginning is Thai queer performance artist Wannasak "Kuck" Sirilar.

"I met him at last year's Bangkok Theatre Festival where he was in the audience," says Wannasak. "He mentioned to me that he wanted to work with Thai actors. We started holding workshops and I invited other Japanese actors I know like [pantomime artist] Yano Kazuki to join. There is a small community of Japanese actors in Thailand. So they started asking around while I was also contacting my friends and students at Srinakharinwirot University to find out who'd be available."

The workshops started in early June, meeting every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday, Wannasak says, with each participant taking turns conducting exercises in acting, playwriting and directing .

"Pradit 'Tua' Prsartthong led storytelling workshops, although he was occupied with other engagements so he couldn't join us for performances. I led a few workshops on tempo, while Yano taught pantomime's breathing techniques," Wannasak says.

The result of the workshops are five two-character mini-plays known as "5 The Story R". All are created, performed and staged by members of this cast of five men and five women - four Thai, six Japanese.

"We then agreed on the four themes—difference, happiness, death, and life," says Wannasak. "While collaborating, we don't take age or experience differences into consideration. Yet, we respect each other's position in each play production—who is an actor or who is a director now. Of course, there are a lot of differences in the actor-director relationships in Japanese and Thai theatre. But in the end, we learn a lot from one another and we've had much fun in the process."

"Yano is directing a play on 'happiness' in which I and Misuzu Nakamura perform. I'll be a straight married Japanese man. This separated couple has an ailing son who wants to see his hero Superman, who's also sick in bed, fly again after years of retirement. Although we're speaking our mother tongues, we take it as if we're speaking the same language."

"Shogo is staging another play on the theme of 'life' in which Katsura Okada performs with [TV host and Srinakharinwirot University's theatre-major student] Prisana Kumpusiri. Wanting to show that life has many other choices, Shogo wrote a story in which one woman was contemplating suicide. She met another woman whose sister committed suicide."

"Written and directed by myself, the third one deals with Japanese concepts on death," says Wannasak. The cast features two young Thai actresses, Srinakharinwirot theatre-major Phatphicha Jiratthitikanchai and Sasapin Siriwanij (Ariel in "The Tempest" at Chulalongkorn University and an ensemble member of "Koo Kam"). Although they're portraying Japanese women, they're not speaking any language, but making full use of their movements and emotions."

Director-actor Pisarn Pattanabhiradeth coached Shogo and Thanakorn  Thipayametrakul (Caliban in "The Tempest" and a Bangkok University alum) in a period piece on the theme of "difference", set during the Ayutthaya era. In the story, a Japanese aristocrat is murdered during the political turmoil in old Siam.

"I'm also directing the last play, written on the theme of 'difference' by Shogo. This play is about two writers who are roommates. A down-and-out Japanese writer is performed by Yano; and the Thai writer, performed by Pisarn, falls in love with him. It will show that two paralleling lines can never join each other. The tone is dark comedy and the acting style is realistic. I'm taking revenge at Yano here - he's not performing pantomime, since he asked me to be straight in his play."

A unique theatrical event, "5 the Story R" received financial support from the Japan Foundation in addition to the Office of Contemporary Art and Culture, Ministry of Culture.

"5 the Story R" opens on Tuesday and runs until September 9 at Tadu Contemporary Art, on the seventh floor of Barcelona Motors Building on Thiam Ruam Mit Road (about 400 metres from Thailand Cultural Centre). Showtimes are at 7pm daily, with matinees at 2pm on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are Bt250 (Bt200 for students). For reservations, call (02) 645 2461 or (086) 787 7155. For more details, see www.tadu.net.

Pawit Mahasarinand  

The writer can be contacted at Pawit.M@chula.ac.th.